Where was Suits LA filmed? All filming locations explored
Suits LA brings legal drama that NBC's original Suits series is known for on the West Coast. Per the trailer, Stephen Amell's Ted Black says, "It's different out here."
Set in Los Angeles, the spinoff follows Ted, a federal prosecutor who moved from the East to the West Coast for still unclear reasons, to start a new law firm with his old buddy, Stuart Lane, played by Josh McDermitt.
While it's not unusual for shows to film in different locations from the cities in which they are set, the spinoff does the exact opposite of the original Suits series, which mostly filmed in Canada. Suits LA may have filmed its pilot in Vancouver, but it filmed the rest of the series in Los Angeles. The change in filming location adds a sense of authenticity to the story.
Suits LA filmed its pilot episode in Vancouver
The pilot episode for Suits LA, which stars Amell, McDermitt, Lex Scott Davis, and Bryan Greenberg, was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. It's not far off compared to the original Suits series, which is set in New York but was filmed in Toronto, Canada, except for the pilot.
Vancouver is a go-to site for filming TV shows and films because it offers variety in terms of backdrops. It has oceanic and coastal views as well as mountainsides and busy cityscapes. Shows like Yellowjackets filmed in Vancouver, as well as Netflix's The Night Agent and The Recruit.
Production moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles for the rest of the series
After filming its pilot episode in Vancouver, the production Suits LA moved to Los Angeles, where the show is set. Variety first reported about this in an exclusive copy on August 1, 2024. The change in filming location adds a sense of authenticity to the plot, so if some LA landmarks appear at some point in the series, fans can reckon that they are the real thing and not stand-ins.
For instance, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard can be seen in the series trailer. Some may have also spotted the famed Griffith Observatory at 2800 East Observatory Road in the trailer.
However, authenticity isn't the only reason for bringing the Suits spinoff to Los Angeles. According to The Wrap in September 10, 2024, the move to LA netted the series a $12 million tax credit through the Soundstage Filming Tax Credit Program, so savings in production costs likely played in the decision.
2000 Avenue of the Stars serves as the Black Lane law firm
One of the key filming locations for Suits LA is the Century City neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, which houses the sprawling 2000 Avenue of the Stars building. The Creative Artists Agency building at 2000 Avenue of the Stars serves as the exterior of the Black Lane Law firm, the firm Ted Black and Stuart Lane started a decade or so ago.
The 2000 Avenue of the Stars is considered a trophy office building within Century Park, famous for its floor-to-ceiling glass windows and high ceilings. The same features are replicated in the interior sequences in the offices of the Black Lane Law firm.
With plenty of the scenes shot around the 14-acre super block neighborhood, some of the other buildings in Century Park also make regular appearances in the backdrop of the series. Meanwhile, the production team most likely utilized a production facility to film the interior shots of the series.
Catch new episodes of Suits LA every Sunday evening at 9:00 pm ET on NBC and on Mondays via Peacock.
